Dial telephone lock



l 1946. A. E. FELDMAN 2,397,954

DIAL TELEPHONE LOCK Filed May 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ALBERT E. FEL DMA/V INVENTOR.

April 9; 1946.

A. E. FELDMAN 2,397,954 DIAL TELEPHONE LOCK Filed May 18, 1944 f2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-5.,

FrE,-X a

YINII/ENTOR. mmlzmm Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE DIAL TELEPHONE LOCK Albert E. Feldman, New York, N. Y. Application May 18, 1944, Serial No, 536,082

9 Claims.

This invention relates to dial telephone locks, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for preventing the unauthorized use of a telephone, which is operated by an oscillating dial.

Heretofore, locks of this character have been quite complicated in construction and, therefore, have been so expensive to manufacture that they have never attained Widespread sale. It is an object of the present invention to provide a dial telephone locking apparatus which, although efficient for its intended purpose, comprises so few and simple parts that it can. bemarketed far below the price for which any previous locking devices could have been sold.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafterpointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which there is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a dial telephone with an improved locking apparatus embodying my in- 'vention secured thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of said apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a locking apparatus apart from a telephone;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view'taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but shows the position of the locking parts after the key has been inserted;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 'l-J of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken sub stantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, A denotes the base of a dial telephone whose receiver B is cradled thereon in conventional fashion.

The locking apparatus comprises an annular disc l0 having a central aperture ll. Said disc may be fabricated from a plastic material, as for example, a phenol condensate or cellulose acetate, The inner and outer rims of the disc have depending annular reinforcing ledges l2, I3 which, with the bottom surface oithe disc, define a ring-like channel,-best shown in section in Fig. 3. The locking disc is adapted to be superimposed upon the oscillatable dial M of the telephone, leaving the rim thereof exposed. Said dial is mounted in conventional fashion on an oscillatable shaft I5 and is provided adjacent its circumference with a plurality of angularly spaced circular finger holes IS. The disc also has associated therewith the usual arcuate'stop finger ll which overlies an imperforate portion of the dial when the same is not being used. Said disc is so dimensioned in plan that it will substantially cover the annular zone of the dial in which the finger'holes l6 are disposed, the identification plate 18 being visible through the disc aperture II which is seated on the bead surrounding said plate.

The bottom of the disc W has a recess 19 formed therein which extends through the ledges l2, It, as Well as the under surface of said disc to provide a seat for the curved stop fingerl I when said locking apparatus is coaxially disposed on the dial it in predetermined angular relation relative thereto. This arrangement will prevent the dial from moving angularly relative to said finger if the disc is maintained in said position overlying the dial.

Means is provided on the disc for locking the disc to the dial in such fashion as to prevent said finger is hooked through a predetermined finger hole, e. g. the finger hole over the numeral 3 in a conventional dial telephone and the disc is coaxially arranged relative to the telephone dial, the shank of the post will freely pass through the aforesaid finger hole and the tip of said finger 22 will underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said hole.

The locking means also includes another element disposed opposite and, preferably, substantially diametrically opposite to the post 20. This locking element must freely project through another finger hole I 6 and have at least one looking member extending therefrom and underlying the dial, so as to prevent the disc from being pulled away from said dial. Pursuant to the invention, said member is biased to its'extended' position simple use of an authorized key.

The locking element and member are constructed as follows: The disc in has a cup 24 integrally secured thereto in such position as to project through the finger hole diametrically opposite from that through which the post extends. The side walls 25 of the cup have diametrically opposite slots 26 formed therein for almost their full length, said slots extending to the top of the. disc. .These slots snugly receive ribs 21 g of a plug-v-28swhich is. fitted :into the .body .c'frthe cup 24..and= is. secured.;.t0 theidiscgby. a.setiscrew 28a. Said plug is of such dimensions that its base 29 will clear the bottom 30 of the cup a prer 2,897,954 r r i 7 Suitable means is provided to resiliently urge the discs to a position in which their tongues are fully outthrust from the cup. Said means comprises depending tangs 38, 39 (Fig. 5) struck from the cups. The tang 38 depends from the lower disc 33 and is freely slidably received in a channel 49 extending diametrically across the bottom Ell of the cup. The tang 3 9 depends from the upper disc 32 and, likewise, is freely received in lllr said channel'; Said last;-: named/:tang 39 also ;.passes" through a diametricallslot 41 *in' the lower 7 disc 33 which thus permits freerrelative movezment of said two discs.

determined amount to provide a space therebetween in which the locking member or'memb'ersr soon to be described, aredisposed; .'Ih e-pl ug has a knob 3| of any desired shape formed atits upper end. The plug and -knob= as' 'well-"as the cup are made from plastic material. 1 V It is desired to point out that the two pieces :describedyito wit 2: the disc El withits integral postlzfl and cup- 24,1and the l-plug 28 with its associatedlkriob fl are all ofisimplecontoun sothat rltheysmaylbe .lreadilysfabricated lat-small expense zbyemoldingifromtconventionalplastic materials andthusenablemy locking-apparatus to be manmufactured at a veryllow cost. a

.xlnzaddition .tolthese iplastic partszmy improved lockingapparatus also: includes four' small metal .::parts; two :of. whichecani .be zread-ily made from :CShet :metal :byhndnexpensive lstamping opera- .tionaiand the'zremaining; .two. :of: which merely lICOmPIEiSe-Jight springs twhich can be purchased at extremelyilow-icost in'lthei open market.

- The1-first two; mentioned metal parts comprise.

,;two\ fiat discs.;32,:33 .of whichlonly. one willbe u ;described.=in .detail ssinceitheyzare otsubstantially identical .construction. The rim lot the disc 32 .:-;includes1;twol ;oppositely disposed.v circular: seg- 521111611135 $41 335); eachirhaving a. radius 'of .curvature lyequallto:.thezinternal;radius;ot the cup 24. A

l tongue 36;:extendsfrom the-periphery. of. the .disc :32in'-.the.center of;cneio:.-the::segments, e: g. the segment 34. Said tongue passes freelysthrough ;f rom;the :externahsuriaee :of the cup '24 when 1 the circulansegment 34- is iabutted'against a. side i .wallzofi, thecup. 2 Thestongue .atthis timelexten'ds iariienoughbeyondithe; side; walls -:2 Erof the cup .-tof.under-lie a portionqofi theflial ldysurro-unding the z finger .hole is! 6. .sthrough which :the cup 24 1freely proiectsr-(Figufi). h V y r 1 :Thegtwolcircularusegments 34-, 35uare:so:relatively arranged. .that? when: the idisc; is shifted across the cup and the? other'l-segment .35 :abutted :against theremoteinteriorzwall of saidzcupythe 1;tip;of:the-tonguei36 willbearetracted .far enough itO- permit.ithe::cup..:to be'zwithdrawn through its :associat'edfinger hole I 6. Pre'ferably, the tongue isryzithdrawn' -far enough. to :bring' its tip either into: or closely-i'adj acent the circumference ofsaid .ccupIFigLPG). i

One of the discs, for example the-disc 32,-is

, slidably;disposediagainst the base 29 or theplug;

- :zsian'dtthefother.discr33 is slidably disposed-upon the bottom :3 0; '(Fig'. 5) :fofthe 'cupl2 tithe-two discs being of t such Ithickness that "they substantially '1 fill the space -;:betw.een;the .ibase :of said plug and the bottomzoflsaid; cup,::and; therefore; slide upon 9 one anothen: The:;disc.i33- is sfacedz in the oppo- -site direction? from rtheidisczfl :(Fig: '7) so that itsitongue' 3lrextendszfthrough the. s1ot 26 opposite to:-.the slot throughiwhicln the". tongu'e- 3? aprojects.

=rcneeo'ithe slots;2.6z= and islong. enoughtolprotrude;

. V 1 .Each tang is disposed nearest the side wall 25 l5'""c=-f"the""cup opposite to that through which the tongue oi-the disc carrying said tang projects. I In the spacebetween each of said tangs and the -'-'closest 'end of the channel 40, there is provided a small, light, helical compression spring 42 20 which biases the associated tang toward a posi- 12151011 in which the tongue: actuated thereby is fully extendedrroirfthecup. a

The "upper disc 32 alse has a diametrical slot 43 oriented in -thesame manner:as-the-slot-42 25 cf 1 the un'derlying disc 33. 'Z'These slots are in a alignment and -'p2'i'rti'ally overlap i at; the "center 1:"of the discs32i fi3g as shown -in' Figa 5', G-and '7. I l As mentioned' iearlier the-.t0ngues 36 37 can M #be retracted -into the cup 24-:by; the simple .and

,soproperuse .o:an authorized drey fii saidukey may include aaconventi'onal handle having a ::-:key M: is 'firstxinserted ilcyxsimple translation in 145 the key-hole 55, its tapered tip49-Wil1 enter said :cverlappingtportions. .Onectapered edgesof the ttip .willpengagl'the :endxofrthe slotwiinithe upper disc 32 remote from theatongueefifi. l'iThe other taperedredgeiofathe' key tipwilli attthe:same time or shortly thereafter engage the end ofaithe: slot 25,6 lixzinxthe; underlying: disc ;:-33 remote from its tongue 37. As the key; ispushed fuittheriimnthe .:taperedi,.edges of its;?tipalwill; .;urge:;theldiscs. to-

gether and therebm'withdravwzthe:tongues 2.36,

737 against .the :action Zof lt'heicompression springs 42. These springs are lightenough,:and the'fric- -tion of;:the.:keyt:irr tha'rkeyeihole l5flzsufiici'ent, to 1:. :keepzithetongues :3L' 3 'lrretracted iasrlong -1 asithe key is left in the key-hole, without continually Zpressingi'the: :keyl down. L: It :mvill .bez noted that the lock operatesrmerely-byinsertion of; thakey withoutturning; J i r In the operation' fottheuieyice;:the fing'erzZZ is first hooked throughtthe.:fingencholez:I 6 "overlying 3 .rthemu'meralz 3.: :Thrkey: is then inserted in the .Thercup' a2 4: is inow placed inithe finger hole dia- :nietric'ally opposed to that =tl-iro11'gh; which the :firrgeris22 lwas hook ed. T The key'is then removed. 70. This allows the tongue's 36," 31 to spring outwardly under the influence of the compression; springs anddockithe' diSGi'Oflih dial?" Ihe-post and :;:tcup,: together witlfithe' finger 22 and" tongues -3 6,

" '3 I, will prevnt' the disc from rotating axiallyrelat'the same time the recess ii in the disc in which the stop finger i1 is seated will prevent the disc from rotating relative to the stop finger. Since the stop finger is fixed, the ultimate result is to prevent rotation of the dial relative to the finger stop as long as the disc is locked in position.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device which achieves theseveral objects of this invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings-is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes therein and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a disc adapted to overlie said dial and leave the rim thereof exposed, said disc having a recess in its undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the undersurface of said disc and adapted to freely pass through one of the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member adapted to underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said finger hole, a second member opposite to said first named member and adapted to freely pass through another finger hole, an element supported by said second member and movable relative thereto between two positions in one of which it underlies a portion of the dial adjacent said second finger hole and in the other of which it clears said dial, means to bias said second member toward its first named position, and a key for moving said element from its first named to its second named position.

2. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes therein and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a disc adapted to overlie said dial, said disc having a recess in its undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the undersurface of said disc and adapted to freely pass through one of the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member adapted to underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said finger hole, a second member opposite to said first named member and adapted to freely pass through another finger hole, an element supported by said second member and movable relative thereto between two positions in one of which it underlies a portion of the dial adjacent said second finger hole and in the other of which it clears said dial, means to bias said second member toward its first named position, and a v key for moving said element from its first named to its second named position.

3. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes therein and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a disc adapted to overlie said dial and leave the rim thereof exposed, said disc having a recess in its undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the undersurface of said disc and adapted to freely pass through one of the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member-adapted to underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said finger hole, a second member diametrically oppositeto said first named member and adapted to freely pass through another finger hole, an 81C? ment supported by said second member and movable .relative thereto between two positions in one of which it underlies a portion of the dial adjacentsaid second finger hole and in the other of which it clears said dial, means to bias said second'member toward its first named position, and a key for moving said element from its first named to its second named position.

4. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes therein and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a disc adapted to overlie said dial, said dischaving a recess in its undersurface in which thestop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the undersurface of said disc and adapted to freely pass through one of the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member adapted to underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said finger hole, a second member opposite to said first named member and adapted to freely pass through another finger hole, a pair of elements supported by said second member and each movable relative thereto between two positions in one of which each element underlies a portion of the dial adjacent said second finger hole and in the other of which each element clears said dial, means to bias said elements toward their first named positions, and a key for moving said elements from their first named position to their second named position.

5. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone havin an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes therein and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a disc adaptedvto overlie'said dial, said disc having a recess in its undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the undersurface of said disc and adapted to freely pass through one of the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member adapted to underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said finger hole, a second member opposite to said first named member and adapted to freely pass through another finger hole, a pair of elements supported by said second member and each movable relative thereto between two positions in one of which each element underlies a portion of the dial adjacent said second finger hole and in the other of which each element clears said dial, means to bias said elements toward their first named positions, and a key having a tapered tip which is adapted to engage said elements upon simpie insertion thereof and move said elements from their first to their second named positions.

6. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having an oscillatable dial witha plurality of finger holes therein and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a disc adapted to overlie said dial and leave the rim thereof exposed, said disc having a recess in its undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the undersurface of said disc and adapted to freely pass through one of the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member adapted to underlie a portion of the dial adjacent said finger hole, a cup integrally depending from said disc and adapted to freely pass through anbtherfinger hole, aspair oftelements mounted for poppositeslidable movement within said cup, each of said' elements havinga' tongue-adaptedfto pro- J'ect from said cup. and extendout to underlie a portion of the'dial adjacent'said: second finger hole whensaid elements-are movediadjacent the side of the cup on which the tongues-bare dis-t posed, a plug received said cup:tofmaintain said elements therein, saidplug having a keyhole -slot, a key adapted to be insertedin said. slot and having cam surfaces on it's-endwhich are adapted toiengage said elementsandforcethem .to'a position in which theiritongues extend from said cup in the manner aforesaidupon simple insertion of the. key, andmeans to biassaid'elements toward a position in which saidtonguesare retracted.

1 7. A' locking apparatus-for a dial telephone having an oscillatableidial with a pluralityof fin.- ger holes therein'and associated with an overlying stationary stop finger,;.- said'; locking apparatus comprising a disc adapted tooverlie said dial and leave the rim thereof exposed, said dischaving a recess in. its 'undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to be seated, a member integrally depending from the .undersurface of said'disc and adapted to freely .pass through onevof the finger holes, a projecting finger on said member adapted to underlie a ortion of the dial adjacent. said fingers hole, a secondmember opposite the said first named memberlan'd adapted to freely pass through another finger hole, a key-operable element carried. by said member and movable upon manipulation of. said keylto a position in which it underlies a portionof the dial adjacent said second finger hole, and means to biassaid element to a position in which itis clear of the dial.

'8. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having' an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes therein and associated with .an. overlying stationary stop finger,- said locking apparatus comprising a disc adaptedto overlie said dialand leave the rim thereof exposed, said disc being adapted to-be seated on-and-in contact with-the upper face of. saididial andhavlnga recess in its undersurface in which the stop finger is adapted to bereceived, a hook extendingifrom the undersurface of: said disc andadapted to. be booked through one of. the fingerholes, a member op.-

fposite' to said hook and adapted to vfreely pass through another; finger hole, an elementv carried by said memberand movable between twoipositions in one of which it underlies a portion of the dial adjacent said second finger hole and in theother of which it is clear of said dial, means to bias said element, toward ,said first named position; and key-operable means. to move said element from its, first named position to its second named position. f a

9. A locking apparatus for a dial telephone having an oscillatable dial with a plurality of finger holes: therein and associated with ,an overlying stationary stop finger, said locking apparatus comprising a. disc adapted {to overlie said dial and leave the rim thereof exposed, said'disc having a central aperture and beingadapted to be seated on and in contact with the upper face, of said dial with the dial identification 'plate extending into said aperture, said disc having aresaid element from its first named position to its second named position ALBERT n. f 

